THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has accepted the unsolicited offer for a P17-billion road connector between the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and the Skyway project in the south.
Public Works secretary Victor Doming recently signed the acceptance of the proposal made by Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp (MPTDC), a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp (MPTC).
The project involves construction of a13.2-kilometer road on top of railroad tracks of the Philippine National Railways within the Manila Central Business District
Once complete, it will connect the end of NLEx at the junction of Manila’s C3 road to the beginning of Skyway phase one near Senator Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati.
Construction is expected to begin in 2012 after preliminary segments have been completed.
“The connector road is a much-awaited urban expressway project that will solve the traffic congestion and change the landscape of Metro Manila,” MPTC president and chief executive Ramon Fernandez said. “It is planned to be a legacy infrastructure in the heart of the city that will utilize the hollow core technology – a new construction system for elevated structures which are proven to be the safe and efficient methods of construction.”
The project aims to support more efficient movement of people and goods through congested urban areas; reduce travel time between NLEx and South Luzon Expressway to twenty minutes; provide unrestricted travel flow from the ports to Southern, Central and Northern Luzon; and connect vital international airports and seaports.
